Kitchen Recipe Collection
Chicken and Mushroom Congee
A deeply nourishing and comforting rice porridge simmered with ginger, tender sliced chicken, and earthy shiitake mushrooms.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 8 cups chicken broth (or water)
- 200g chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
- 1 inch ginger, julienned
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
- Scallions and cilantro for garnish
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon
Instructions
- 1
Rinse and Marinate Rice
Rinse rice until clear. Mix with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- 2
Soak Mushrooms
Soak dried mushrooms in warm water until soft, reserve the soaking liquid, and slice thinly.
- 3
Marinate Chicken
Mix the sliced chicken with soy sauce, cornstarch, white pepper, and half of the julienned ginger.
- 4
Boil Liquid
Bring the 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil in a large pot.
- 5
Simmer Rice
Add the marinated rice to the boiling broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer.
- 6
Stir the Congee
Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to release the starch and prevent sticking.
- 7
Add Flavor
Stir in the sliced mushrooms, mushroom soaking liquid (leaving sediment behind), and remaining ginger.
- 8
Continue Simmering
Simmer for another 10 minutes until the porridge is thick and silky.
- 9
Add Chicken
Stir the marinated chicken into the hot congee. It will cook very quickly, in about 3 minutes.
- 10
Season
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and more white pepper.
- 11
Garnish
Turn off heat. Garnish generously with chopped scallions and cilantro.
- 12
Serve Hot
Serve immediately, optionally paired with a side of crispy Youtiao.
Cooking Tips
- The oil and salt trick for the rice breaks down the grains much faster, creating a smoother porridge texture.
- Do not add the chicken too early, or it will become tough and overcooked.
Variations
- Fish Congee: Substitute the chicken with thin slices of white fish fillet.
- Add Century Egg: Stir in diced century eggs at the same time as the chicken.
Nutrition Estimate
290 calories · 18g protein · 45g carbs · 5g fat · 2g fiber per serving
